This illustrated manual describes and discusses the unusually rich and varied flora of the Carolinas, from the semi-tropical coast of South Carolina to the northern forests of the high North Carolina mountains.

The manual treats in detail and in a concise format more than 3, 200 species of trees, shrubs, vines, herbs and ferns that grow without cultivation in this two-state area. Special features include diagnostic illustrations, keys for identification, detailed descriptions, flowering and fruiting dates, habitat data, distribution data, and pertinent synonymy for each species. County dot maps show the distribution of each species if found in more than five counties throughout the two-state area, and general ranges beyond our borders are given in the text.

First published in 1968, Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas is an established reference for professionals, students, and plant enthusiasts throughout the Southeastern United States. It is based on the collection and examination of more than 200,000 live specimens. Many of these specimens are now housed in the herbarium at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Albert E. Radford, Harry E. Ahles, and C. Ritchie Bell were all members of the department of botany at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill when they created this manual. Radford was professor of botany and director of the herbarium, Ahles was curator of the herbarium, and Bell was professor of botany and director of the North Carolina Botanical Garden.